Immigration plan gets no love from the Texas GOP

Published 10:19 am, Tuesday, January 29, 2013

A bipartisan Senate immigration reform proposal unveiled Monday received a cool response from Texas Republicans, despite the importance of the issue to the state's growing minority population.

In announcing the framework offered by a group of four Republicans and four Democrats, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was crystal clear about why he believes it is imperative that the proposal becomes law.

"Elections. Elections," McCain said. "The Republican Party is losing support of our Hispanic citizens."

The bipartisan plan includes a path to citizenship for the country's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Cornyn will review the Senate proposal, but first and foremost, a focus must be placed on the "porous border," said his spokeswoman Megan Mitchell.

"Unfortunately, President Obama has consistently shown he prefers to use the issue to score political points, and any progress will require his leadership," Mitchell said.

"I appreciate the good work that senators in both parties have put into trying to fix our broken immigration system," said Cruz in a statement. "There are some good elements in this proposal, especially increasing the resources and manpower to secure our border and also improving and streamlining legal immigration. However, I have deep concerns with the proposed path to citizenship. To allow those who came here illegally to be placed on such a path is both inconsistent with rule of law and profoundly unfair to the millions of legal immigrants who waited years, if not decades, to come to America legally."

The carefully chosen words of the Texas senators underscore the political dilemma they face.

Cornyn and Cruz both sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the panel with jurisdiction over immigration legislation, giving the Texas lawmakers a venue to shape a bill. But if they immediately reject the framework, they could be marginalized if such legislation is successful.

Also, as Senate Republican whip, Cornyn plays a major role. He could be forced to whip votes for such a bill if the rest of the GOP leadership decides to support it.

Immigrant rights groups are watching Cornyn and Cruz, who oppose citizenship proposals, to see how their positions play politically in Texas, a state that is expected to move steadily from being solidly Republican toward a Democratic majority.

"How the Texas Senate duo handles immigration in the coming debate will set the course for the future of the GOP" in the state, said Frank Sharry, executive director of the pro-immigrant advocacy group America's Voice.

Despite the GOP's overtures on immigration after last year's election, in which Hispanics voted overwhelmingly to reelect President Barack Obama, Texas Republicans including Gov. Rick Perry were critical of the plan's path-to-citizenship proposal, claiming it was an "amnesty" that would reward lawbreakers who entered the country illegally.

"Gov. Perry has made his position clear that securing the border must be the No. 1 priority of any immigration plan and it must contain an ironclad commitment to upholding the rule of law to ensure that those who have violated it are not rewarded for their lawlessness," said Josh Havens, a spokesman in Austin.

A spokesman for Republican Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Matt Hirsch, said that "despite the federal government's uninspiring record," Dewhurst was "hopeful Washington lawmakers will propose serious and significant reforms to help secure our border once and for all."

A changing electorate

Latino and minority growth in Texas over the last decade resulted in four new congressional seats for the state.

Latinos currently make up 38 percent of the 26 million population, according to the U.S. Census. They are projected to comprise the majority of the population by 2020, possibly earlier.

When Cruz faces re-election in 2018, "Texas will look like a much different state," Sharry said.

Cruz, a Latino of Cuban descent elected with Tea Party support, opposes citizenship proposals as amnesty, but supports increased visas for high-tech and temporary workers.

And while Cornyn has introduced his own immigration proposals in the past, he joined other Republicans in 2007 to block a reform bill in the Senate.

But the last election showed that the issue of undocumented immigrants and citizenship resonates with Latino voters.

A Latino Decisions poll found that two-thirds of Latinos nationally have a friend or family member who is undocumented.

"Cruz and Cornyn can help determine whether the GOP remains a viable national party, or faces extinction," Sharry said.

"The congressional Republicans from Texas sidelined themselves with their anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric ... suddenly the debate has shifted to 'how much citizenship,'" said Democratic consultant Harold Cook of Austin. "That's not leadership and it's not even adequate representation. It's just ideologues telling far-right voters what they want to hear, at the expense of mainstream Texans."

Certainly, some members of Texas' congressional delegation were strongly negative.

"The Senate's proposed plan does not fix our nation's broken immigration system," said Rep. Steve Stockman, a Republican from Friendswood. "It rewards lawbreaking and encourages a new flood of illegals."

But some Republican strategists say that the GOP must find a way to play a constructive role in the ongoing debate - or suffer the consequences at the polls for years to come.

"Comprehensive immigration reform is going to happen this year and Republicans should embrace it and work to improve it," said Republican consultant Matt Mackowiak. "At stake is rebranding the Republican Party with Hispanics, an absolutely critical and urgent task, especially in border states like Texas."

The Democratic view

Obama was expected to use a Nevada speech today to urge Congress to pass immigration reform.

Obama has called for eventual citizenship for those who pay a fine, have no criminal background, and stand at the back of the legal immigration line – all proposals put forward by the Senate group.

"It is our hope that our Republican colleagues in the House will see this as a workable framework," Hinojosa said.

Joining McCain in the bipartisan group making the proposal are Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeff Flake of Arizona; and Democratic senators Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado.

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said debate on immigration reform could begin as early as next month.